Boat essentials Mediterranean cruising

[cmedsailor]

Suppose you own a boat in the 35-40 feet range from the Ben/Jan/Bav “family” which according to many people’s belief they are fine boats for Mediterranean cruising. Mediterranean cruising sometimes involves long passages of 150+ miles, nasty weather, anchoring in little bays etc, etc.
So, if we were to “build” that sort of boat for this sort of usage and for single/short-handed what essentials (upgrades, electronics, sails…..) are necessary?

 

[25931]

Perhaps the most important is a good, reliable engine and plenty of fuel.

 

[saltwater_gypsy]

.......and mosquito nets, bimini and good ventilation. There is no " ideal boat". Just look around any Med anchorage and you will find people having a great time in a fantastic variety of boats. Get a good boat that YOU like and then enjoy.

 

[cmedsailor]

.......Get a good boat that YOU like and then enjoy.

No, it's not a question for selecting a boat. I do have a boat and I love it. It's more about how I could "build up" my boat (or actually a boat similar to mine, there's no need to be the specific model) to make it most appropriate for Med cruising.

Re: Mosquito nets, bimini and good ventilation....oh yes definately!

 

[Twister_Ken]

Not - maybe - essential, but good to have:

Holding tank
Bimini
Over-boom awning
Ventilation (opening ports, fans, wind scoop, etc)
Bathing platform
Transom shower
Powered windlass
Good light airs performance
Good heavy weather performance
Mossie screens
Passarelle
Water-cooled fridge/freezer
Euro bank account

 

[greenalien]

Good, strong fastening for bow anchor, and room to carry a spare if / when the first one gets fouled and has to be temporarily abandoned, or when the wind shifts 180 degrees during the night, and a sheltered bay becomes a lee shore and a second anchor is the only thing that will save your boat.
A usable passerelle, or at least a couple of scaffold planks - most mooring is stern-to, and you want to keep well off the quay.
No stern-hung rudder, for the same reason.
A couple of 12-volt electric fans. 40C can be very uncomfortable.

 

[bigwow]

Ice maker

 

[r_h]

Perhaps the most important is a good, reliable engine and plenty of fuel.

Add to that multiple engine spares - impellers, filters, drive belts etc, plus a decent set of tools.

Also:
Windscoop - it's amazing how few you see, even on properly hot days
Decent insulation for the fridge
Oversize ground tackle (helps me sleep at night!)
Loads of fenders
Light weather sails
An efficient heavy weather jib

 

[cimo]

some repetition here -

a happy engine.
boom tent/sun awning.
ventilation/windscoop.
ground tackle that you understand (found myself under a bit of pressure to get dug in quickly on a weedy bottom start of june. delighted i had my grapnel on board to complement the sowester).
Reliable weather forecasts (still working on this).
efficient means of keeping the beer cool (ditto).

Oh - factor 50 also.

these are my needs - anything else are are simply wants

 

[AntarcticPilot]

All the posts harping on about the temperature make me quite sure that I NEVER want to visit the Med! It's way too hot in the UK right now - ten degrees more would be well beyond my comfort zone.

OK, I have to stand Hong Kong sometimes - but at least I can retreat to an air-conditioned space there.

 

[cimo]

its really very enjoyable - once you master the siesta system.

 

[alan_d]

It's way too hot in the UK right now

I think you mean "... in parts of the UK right now ..."

 

[Billjratt]

White hull will be cooler below (fridge won't have to work so hard.)
Off-white cockpit/bridgedeck to avoid snow-blindness, grey or sand coloured canvas for bimini and sprayhood look a bit better when the fine talcom-like sand gets ingrained.
That's the colour prejudice bit done.
Good sailcovers and sacrificial strips, canvas covers for almost everything which is either plastic or varnished - and your own skin. (and winches). A fitted cockpit tent gives a useful extra room.
If you have shadow-free space to angle them properly, big solar cell panels are quiet and efficient, wind generators are no use unless you get one of the powerful ones, which can be noisey. don't fit one near your bunk. If you can't do that, get a wee generator rather than running the engine to charge batteries
We accumulated a lot of mains-electric stuff - kettle, 2-ring hob, toaster, microwave calorifier etc. as we were in a marina which included unlimited water and electricity in the fees. Most of the appliances were very cheap in Spain (Leroy Merlin).
Passarel was a 2-part ladder with boards screwed on one side. It was useful as a ladder as well as being light and strong.(get or make brackets for both bow and stern access)
Ham radio (or marine HF) for twice daily weather nets and general chat with more distant friends and aquaintances. (also useful offshore if you're going via Biscay)
Extra water tank capacity - some of the water quality is questionable and it can become rare during Summer. We liked to fill up with lots of good stuff when it was available, and avoided regular top-ups which could spoil our supply.
Agree with previous posters about the biggest anchor you can manage under difficult conditions, and about maximum ventilation.
Probably worthwhile considering aquisition on an "as required" basis rather than loading up with stuff we say you need, but you will never use. See what all the others in your viscinity do. (and where they got the stuff) - or buy s/h from someone going the other way!
Best of luck